Brett Hudson’s life is in shambles. An attempt to deny fate has left him wide open for an unscrupulous pair intent on ruining him completely.

Andrea Sloan knows she and Brett are meant to be together the instant they meet. It takes a while, but finally chance puts her in the right place at the right time to rescue him, then a night of intense sex only complicates things even more.

Now Brett must salvage what’s left of his life and prove himself worthy of Andie’s love before it’s too late. A little BDSM sex play might be the answer…

Brett Hudson groaned as he swung his legs over the side of the bed, jarring his body into a sitting position. Even though he shut his eyes tightly against the intruding sunshine, he cursed himself for not closing the blinds the night before when he’d fallen into bed. Or, more likely, judging by the pounding in his head, he should amend that to earlier that morning. In vain he tightened his grip on his head. Too bad he already knew that the pressure of his fingers was no match for the drumline within his skull that awoke the instant he had.

He had no one to blame but himself. It wasn’t that he’d even had that much to drink. He was just so damn tired after he crawled from his latest blonde’s bed that any alcohol hit him faster than usual. Unfortunately, Brett was as unconvinced by that thought as anyone he might actually try to tell it to would be. Deciding a shower would help more than it would hurt, he forced his legs to carry him to the bathroom. Thank God he’d invested in that coffee maker with the timer. He couldn’t have been too out of it when he got home. He could smell coffee so he had managed to perform that simple task. See? No problem. He was just tired and needed to cut back on his socializing until after he made the move out of the city. Or at least quit stopping for drinks after his date ended.

Brett stepped under the spray and let the warm water soothe his protesting nerves. Funny how different parts of one body could be in such total conflict with others. As he waited for the throbbing to subside, he was unable to intercept the thoughts he had been pushing aside for months.

Ever since his best friend Jordan McKade had met Kiley, the love of his life, Brett had been half looking himself, not that he’d ever admit it to anyone. And then, when Jordan’s brother Shane had hooked up with Kiley’s cousin Alyssa, it had only gotten worse.

Brett let his mind drift. His needs were simple really. A combination of looks, brains, and unquenchable sexual appetite was all he wanted. Why was it so hard to find what he was looking for?

Six months earlier, they’d all been living in the city, each with their own full-time job commitment, just as Brett was. Now the four of them were easily ensconced in their new realities and Brett was trapped in both worlds. Kiley and Alyssa both urged him repeatedly to walk away from his life in the city even though for some unfathomable reason, he’d let himself promise to ease away gradually over the next six months when he’d resigned. That meant he had two more long, grueling months of commuting between the city with his job in advertising and the small town where he was part-owner and station-manager for a recovering radio station, his and Jordan’s new venture. The frustration that Brett felt at being pulled in such differing directions was building beyond his control.

Any other time in his life, Brett would have turned to Jordan for encouragement without thinking twice. Now that his friend was married with impending fatherhood getting nearer with each passing day, Brett was hesitant. Jordan spent countless hours researching topics for the late night talk show he’d undertaken at the station. Add to that the few investment accounts he’d kept from his former career and the time he devoted to visiting their dying young friend, Max, and Jordan had more than enough to occupy his life at the moment. Brett would muddle through this stressful period without the aid of his best friend.

Briefly, Brett debated confiding in Shane. Many times over the years, he’d turned to Jordan’s older brother for advice. Shane had always treated him pretty much the same as he did his biological brother. Too bad for Brett Shane’s life was currently as full as Jordan’s was.

Brett wrapped the towel around his waist and headed to the kitchen for coffee. He shuddered when he remembered that the charity bachelor auction was scheduled for the next night. The only reason he had let himself get roped into it was the good it would do, not only for the children’s hospital where Max received treatment for the degenerative disease that would soon claim his life but also for the radio station with the exposure his participation would bring. Sadie Brown, the fourth in the investment group that Jordan had formed with him and Shane when the radio station idea had first popped up, insisted that this variety of free publicity was something he simply couldn’t pass on.

Brett almost smiled at the thought of Sadie. She was a feisty old woman with an opinion on absolutely everything. She and Brett shared a comfortable relationship where they teased each other mercilessly while openly showing their mutual regard. Unfortunately, Sadie’s grandniece, Andrea Sloan, had come to stay with her just before Jordan and Kiley’s wedding. Brett caught her watching him with a besotted expression on her face more times than he felt comfortable with. Not that there was anything wrong with the girl. She was just too mousy for Brett’s tastes. He didn’t want to offend Sadie so, whenever possible, he avoided Andrea.

He sighed dejectedly as he remembered the conversation a few weeks earlier where Sadie had mentioned that Andrea was planning to attend the auction. Brett feared she would purchase his company for an evening. So far, he’d managed not to be alone with her. If she won the bid, his luck would run out. He dreaded the idea of spending time with her without Sadie providing a buffer.

The only good thing about the upcoming auction was that Jesse Monroe, the least secretive of Jordan’s investigator friends, would be back from whatever it was that he did during his frequent absences. Jesse might have confided some of his activities to Shane now that they’d become better friends, but for the most part, Brett was still clueless. Jesse was around on occasion, up for an evening of hanging out. Then, he would suddenly vanish for unspecified stretches of time, with little or no explanation.

Part of the condition for Brett’s participation in the night’s festivities was Jesse’s promise to subject himself to the same treatment. Brett knew from experience that Jesse’s word was true so at least he wasn’t in this event alone. Maybe, if Andrea outbid the others, he’d be able to talk Jesse and his winner into sharing the proposed evening with them. Yes, that was definitely a good idea. It would seem innocent enough while still prohibiting any more personal thoughts Andrea might want to discuss.

With that possible situation resolved, Brett felt lighter and more ready to face the day. He was still going to spend the next few months feeling inadequate as he divided his time between his two lives but, for the moment, his head was quieter. He vowed to cut back and watch the amount of alcohol he consumed. And he’d come up with a plan that just might keep the peace with Sadie while not blatantly flaunting his lack of interest in her niece. Without intending to, his thoughts returned to Andrea. Too bad the girl didn’t seem willing to settle for simple friendship. She was fine to talk with. He just didn’t want her to get any ideas that went beyond that, no matter how much Sadie hinted at favoring a relationship between the two of them. No, Andrea Sloan simply wasn’t woman enough for him. She had the brains but not the looks and no way did he want to speculate on her capabilities in bed.

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